Two homes: one in Provence, one in the Rockies

In 2010, newly retired Canadians Carolyne Kauser-Abbott, 62, and her husband Andrew decided to spend part of the year travelling abroad. 

France was an easy choice. Carolyne had travelled there as a child, and spent five months working in Paris in 1989. 

“I say that I left a piece of me in France,” she said. 

An initial plan to stay for six months soon turned into a year, with the first half in Aix-en-Provence. In the second half, they found the gîte in the village of Eygalières they have come back to every year except during Covid. 

“It feels like our home. It’s amazing,” said Caroline. 

The couple split their time between Canmore, Alberta, near Banff National Park, and Eygalières, in the Alpilles mountains, usually spending from July to early November in France. 

“The area is well-known for hiking and cycling, climbing and outdoor activities. It’s rural but you have these beautiful little villages,” said Carolyne.

What has kept them coming back to Provence, year after year?

“The climate is wonderful, the access to fresh produce – we love to cook and eat and in the Rockies it comes from somewhere else, and the access to ancient culture, it’s right there,” she said. 

“There was a hike that I did the day before I left. You hike past an old Medieval fortress and you just walk right up to the tower and touch it if you wish… in North America we’re so far from that, some of our oldest cities might be 200 years old.” 

They also return for their friends in the area, “a mix of expats from the UK, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, the US, and a few Canadians”. 

The locals have been very welcoming, and Carolyne advises newcomers to make an effort, especially with the language. 

“If you try, even if your French is terrible high school French, people will appreciate it. It’s a very kind country. Our experience has been very welcoming.” 

One example is when Andrew went to the bricolage when trying to work out how to use their BBQ. 

“This man not only helped him in the store but decided that he would come back to the house and show him how to put it together. Our experience has been nothing but warmth.”

One initial challenge was navigating rural France. 

“Our marriage would not have survived without a GPS, because initially neither of us knew where we were going. Without that, we would not be speaking today,” she laughed.

Splitting time between two countries has its difficulties

“I don’t like leaving anywhere. That last two weeks when you’re cleaning out the fridge and you’re saying goodbye and you’re thinking oh I have all these things to do when I get back. I don’t like leaving at all. But then I get to the next place, and I have one good sleep and I’m into the programme.” 

Splitting their time, rather than a full-time move is a “good balance”, Carolyne said, allowing the couple to see friends and family in Canada. 

Caroline launched the blog Perfectly Provence in 2014, a trove of information about the region with now over 4,000 articles written by Caroline and guest writers and bloggers, covering everything from travel and culture to restaurants and history. 

She was inspired to start the site after noticing that good, multilingual information was not always available for the area at the time. 

Working on the site, which she does most days, also means Carolyne has a piece of France with her even when back in Canada. 

“I feel as if I’m in Provence every day.”